Monday 26 March 2012

We really are still alive!

Many apologies for the distinct lack of posts in recent weeks. I am now sitting in my sunny lounge with a cup of (new eteaket) tea, Peter Gabriel (not actually, you understand) and a quick break from writing a couple of overdue review articles. So here's what we've been up to since my last post (brace yourself):


  • Moved house! We are now living in a beautiful little village called Nocton. We have a garden, a big kitchen (what a relief!) and total peace. It is amazing and we feel hugely blessed to have it. 
  • Changed our car. We lease our car so it was time to get something new. D is very chuffed with it. Don't say he looks like a hairdresser...he doesn't, OK.
  • Spent four days in Oxford (me not D - I left him home alone). We moved house and then barely five days later I went off to New College Oxford for the Moving Modernisms conference. It was a great time and I met a heap of amazing, inspirational scholars. I've come back thoroughly excited...and with a lot of work to do.
  • Finished term. Despite the fact that it feels as though we've only just started term, I have taught my last class. This has been one of my most enjoyable terms of teaching ever - brilliant students, exciting courses and lots of great performances to engage with.
  • Witnessed one of our good friends Jane get baptised.
  • Made chilli for 30 sweet buddies (plus nachos and quesidillas - they weren't as good as your's Em!)
And I think that's it, other than the usual - catching up with Raw (in the lead up to Wrestlemania), re/discovering music (currently listening to Peter Gabriel's edited Big Blue Ball), watching a couple of films (though I am somewhat embarrassed to admit it, my treat for moving house was to watch Real Steel with the wholly delectable Hugh Jackman) and reading (only work books this week I'm afraid: a paper about Wilde's Salome and Erika Fischer-Lichte's Global Ibsen - she is fast becoming one of my favourite scholars). 

Now, my break is over and I'd better get on with these reviews. Suffice to say that life is pretty amazing right now and, as soon as our boxes are emptied, we are hoping to share it with all our friends. This week it is mostly...Sarah Kane Festival, book proposals, arrival of my family for the day, lunches in the garden, sorting our house out, finishing assessment timetables, and then off to Ely/Cambridge at the weekend for two jolly days of relaxation and Australian Pink Floyd. Sweet!

CSW

Thursday 8 March 2012

Getting ready to go

Much of our thinking time has been taken up with moving house. D has managed to source some terrific furniture bargains and we pick up the keys on Saturday. I am very excited about it. We have also booked our summer holiday. We are off to Germany and Switzerland to visit some wonderful friends (Evelyn and family, we can't wait to see you!) and to enjoy the beauty of the mountains for a few days. Rather than flying, we are making the journey by train! It's going to be an adventure. The last time I travelled round Europe on a train I was 21 and didn't mind arriving in Florence with nowhere to stay and kipping down for the night in a nunnery in Venice, not to mention sleeping in a hostel in Zagreb which cost €6 a night! I am now older and demand a hot shower each morning!

Back to Lincoln life, I am currently finishing off a raft of projects including the Hassan paper (which was accepted by the good people of Theatre Notebook yesterday!), the proofs for the Literary North chapter and the final indexing/proofing of British Avant-Garde Theatre. I also have a conference abstract to write tomorrow. We are reaching the end of term (only two more weeks to go!) and the students are starting to think seriously about their performance assessments. Teaching has been so fun this term. Cool students, interesting courses!

So, I'm going to make some tea. D is watching a youtube video about Switzerland. It looks amazingly beautiful and we are so grateful for our Germany/Switzerland May holiday. Will try and post amidst the boxes next week. Until then, hope everyone is doing great.

CSW

Friday 2 March 2012

It's March already...

...not sure where that came from. So what has happened since the last post? I have been mostly...planning to move house...enjoying a wonderful research weekend in Edinburgh...compiling the index for the Book...reading some interesting plays...watching the students give a great performance of one of my least favourite plays of all time: Osborne's 'Look Back in Anger' (still don't like it but was very proud of them)...lying in my hammock which is still up in our lounge.

My visit to Edinburgh was great. Not only did I get to spend time with some of my most favourite people, I also enjoyed two very long days in the library. If you follow me on Twitter then you'll have seen the piles of books I started with each morning: lots of fascinating stuff about fascist theatre. We so often imagine theatre as a pretty left-wing pursuit so it was very interesting to read about the theatre from the other side of the political spectrum. This week's teaching has been all very profitable. I am so enjoying spending time with the students this term. They are all mega, hard-working and talented folks.

In terms of research, I am currently doing the final bits and bobs for two articles. But proofreading and indexing is getting in the way slightly. Have a couple of books to read over the weekend and could do with finishing this index. We'll try and get some breakfast out tomorrow though - always a good start to the weekend.

Next week is our final full week in the flat before the big move. This morning the sun was shining and I imagined how beautiful our new garden would be. We are really excited about our new pad. Have just finished work (I know, it's 22.40 on a Friday - height of geekdom) and now I'm going to eat a bowl of Weetabix while watching Smackdown.

CSW